Results with newer bladeless LASIK equivalent to standard microkeratome LASIKMay 04, 2006ROCHESTER, Minn. - A Mayo Clinic study comparing femtosecond (bladeless) and mechanical microkeratome LASIK surgeries has found equal results from both types six months post-surgery, using a variety of vision and eye health measurements. The study's findings will be presented next week in three abstracts at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. LASIK (Laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis) involves treating nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism by reshaping the eye's cornea to alter the way the eye refracts light. LASIK involves creating a flap, removing a defined amount of corneal tissue by an excimer laser, and replacing the flap. In standard LASIK with a mechanical microkeratome, the flap is created by a blade; in bladeless LASIK, the newer type, the flap is created by a femtosecond laser. "At six months after surgery, there are no differences between the eyes that had bladeless or microkeratome LASIK with respect to visual acuity (vision as measured by reading an eye chart), contrast sensitivity (ability to discriminate bright objects from dark objects), or in perception of stray light or glare, such as the glare from oncoming headlights," says Sanjay Patel, M.D., Mayo Clinic ophthalmologist and study investigator.
Given the equivalent findings thus far in eye health and vision between the two types of LASIK, Dr. Patel slightly prefers bladeless LASIK due to its potential safety, which was not measured in his study. "I'd say the short-term outcomes are equal and the risks are, in theory, less with the bladeless technique, although our study was not designed to compare risks," he says. "Bladeless LASIK is potentially safer because of its computer-controlled precision, the ability to visualize the flap being created, and to stop the procedure whenever necessary. That said, however, the risk of complications with a traditional, microkeratome blade is very small: some vision loss from surgery with a microkeratome blade occurs in well under 1 percent of all cases. The long-term risks of either procedure, however, are unknown, and defining them is the primary purpose of our study." The study followed 20 patients who received LASIK for nearsightedness or astigmatism. Each patient was treated with microkeratome LASIK in one eye and bladeless LASIK in the other eye. The researchers found no difference in subbasal nerve density between types of surgery, though the density decreased after both treatments compared to density before LASIK. Corneal sensitivity did not differ between microkeratome and bladeless LASIK. Subbasal nerve density and corneal sensitivity do not impact vision, but rather the potential to heal from a scratch or other injury to the eye. High-contrast visual acuity, the capability to see fine details, and contrast sensitivity, the ability to perceive contrast in objects and their environments, also did not differ between LASIK types. The researchers found corneal backscatter was greater with bladeless LASIK for the first three months after surgery, yet the patients perceived no difference in vision after three months between their eyes treated with bladeless or microkeratome LASIK. Backscatter is haziness in the cornea that is usually invisible to the naked eye and is identified through testing in a physician's office. Cell densities in all layers of the cornea also did not differ between the LASIK surgeries. The ultimate goal of the Mayo Clinic study of microkeratome versus bladeless LASIK is to obtain long-term information about patients' vision and eye health five years following surgery. The results presented now represent the first six months of findings. Mayo Clinic | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Related LASIK Current Events and LASIK News Articles Laser Surgery Probe Targets Individual Cancer Cells Mechanical engineering Assistant Professor Adela Ben-Yakar at The University of Texas at Austin has developed a laser "microscalpel" that destroys a single cell while leaving nearby cells intact, which could improve the precision of surgeries for cancer, epilepsy and other diseases. Scientists discover who is likely to get dry eye syndrome after LASIK surgery Scientists at Schepens Eye Research Institute have found that people with a certain low level of tear production are more likely to develop chronic dry eye syndrome after LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis), laser refractive surgery to correct near- and far-sightedness than those with more plentiful tears. LASIK works well, according to long-term study of highly myopic patients Laser surgery to correct vision problems has been in use since the early 1990s. Photorefractive Keratotomy (PRK) is typically used to correct low to moderate myopia, while laser in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK) is preferred for high myopia corrections. New insights into how lasers cut flesh Lasers are at the cutting edge of surgery. From cosmetic to brain surgery, intense beams of coherent light are gradually replacing the steel scalpel for many procedures. LASIK for older adults A new University of Illinois at Chicago study appearing in the online edition of the journal Ophthalmology reports on the safety, efficacy and predictability of laser eye surgery (laser in situ keratomileusis or LASIK) in patients 40-69 years old. Innovative surgery corrects vision in kids with neurological disorders Children with cerebral palsy and other neurological problems often have extremely poor eyesight. Doctors cut repeat LASIK visits dramatically Ophthalmologists have developed a formula that slashes by nearly two-thirds the likelihood that patients will need repeat visits to an eye surgeon to adjust their vision after their initial LASIK visit. An artificial cornea is in sight, thanks to biomimetic hydrogels If eyes are "the windows of the soul," corneas are the panes in those windows. They shield the eye from dust and germs. They also act as the eye's outermost lens, contributing up to 75 percent of the eye's focusing power. Astronomers use laser to take clearest images of the center of the Milky Way UCLA astronomers and colleagues have taken the first clear picture of the center of our Milky Way galaxy, including the area surrounding the supermassive black hole, using a new laser virtual star at the W.M. Keck observatory in Hawaii. Hopkins study shows 30-day soft contact lenses pose very small risk of vision loss A team of researchers led by the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute have determined that the corneal infection rate associated with the use of 30-day -extended-wear contact lenses made from silicone hydrogel is comparable to that previously reported for older lens types worn for fewer consecutive 24-hour periods. More LASIK Current Events and LASIK News Articles |
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